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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. & J. HINKS. Mechanism for Lighting Lamps. No. 233, 55.

Patented Nov. 2,1880.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-:Sheet 2. J. 8v J. HINKS. Mechanism for LightingLamps.

No. 233,855. Patented Nov. 2, 1880;

UNITED STATE PATENT @TTTOE.

JAMES HINKS AND JOSEPH HINKS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MECHANISM FOR LIGHTING LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,855, dated November2, 1880.

Application filed August 26, 1880'. (No model.) Patented in EnglandApril 6, T880.

' ments in Mechanism for Lighting Hydrocarbon and other Lamps, (forwhich we have received Letters Patent in England, No. 1,396, dated 6thApril, 1880,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is applicable to hydrocarbon and other lamps carryingburners having one, two, or more wicks, and also to gas-lamps; and oursaid invention consists of the meclr anism hereinafter described, to beused for lighting the said lamps.

We will describe our invention as applied to a lamp burning volatilehydrocarbon and having one or more wicks.

The said mechanism consists of a tube or channel fixed at the side of orbetween the wick-cases, up which tube or channel the match to light thelamp is forced, the said tube or channel passingthrough the bodyof theburner and inclining toward the wick or wicks. This tube or channel iscovered at its upper end by a hinged cap kept in position by a spring.The under side of the cap carries a knife-edge or roughened surface.

To light the lamp a match is placed within the tube, and is forcedupward by pressure from the thumbfso as to cause the head of the matchto come in contact with the knifeedge or roughened surface and igniteit. At the same time the cap or cover is forced open and the ignitedmatch passed up to the wick or wicks, the spring of the said covercausing the latter to press upon the match and hold it in position.

To release the match a lever thumb-piece is attached to the back of thecap or cover, so that pressure upon this thumb-piece raises the coverand permits the match to fall out of the tube.

We will now proceed to describe, with refer ence to the accompanyingdrawings, the manner in which our invention may be performed.

Figures 1 and II represent vertical sections, partly in elevation, ofopposite sides of a dupleX burner of a volatile-hydrocarbon lampcontaining mechanism for lighting, by means of matches, the wicks of thesaid lamp-burner. In Fig. ll the guide-tube and jointed or hinged cap orcover are shown in section, and a match is represented in the act ofbeing forced up the guide-tube preparatory to the igniting of the saidmatch. Fig. III represents the mech anism after the match has beenignited and has been carried up to the wicks for lighting them and heldin that position. Fig. IV represents the mechanism after the spent matchhas been released and has fallen from the guide-tube. Fig. V representsa sectional side elevation of the lighting mechanism,taken in adirection at right angles to that in which the lighting mechanism inFigs. I, II, III, and 1V is taken; and Fig. VI is a plan of the same.

The same letters indicate the same parts in the several figures of thedrawings.

a a are the two wick cases or holders of the duplex burner, and b is thefixed guide tube or channel situated between the two wickcases act. Thesaid guide-tube b is conical, its widest end being lowest. The saidguidetube b and the several parts of the lighting mechanism hereinafterdescribed are carried by the plate 0, fixed to the body of thelampburner.

dis the hinged or jointed cap or cover of the guide-tube I), the saidcap or cover, when in its closed or normal position, Figs. I and II,covering and nearly closing the upper small end of the said guide-tube.The jointed cap or cover (I is jointed at d to the plate 0, supportingthe lighting mechanism, and that end of the cap or cover (I which isturned inward is furnished with a knife-edge, 0. cap or coveris pressedinto the closed or normal position, Figs. I and II, by a wire (or other)spring, f, bearing upon the said cap at its back. The said cap isprolonged downward, or is furnished with a tail or stem, g, to thebottom of which tail or stem the link It is jointed at W. To the outerend of the link it the pusher or thumb-plate t is connected, the head ofthe said pusher being external to the body of the burner, and beingsituated at the side of and near to the guidetube I). (See the plan,Fig. VI, and side elevation, Fig. V.) When short wax matches of thekind com monly called Vesta matches are to be used Thejointed forlighting the lamp, we employ with the wax matches a tubular metallicholder of the kind represented in the drawings and marked but whenordinary wooden matches are employed the use of the said holder isunnecessary, for the bodies of the matches are of sufficient length andsufficiently rigid to be forced by hand up the guide-tube b.

In lighting the lamp provided with the mechanism constituting ourinvention, the wax or Vesta match I is placed in one end of the tubularmetallic holder 7c, and the match and its holder are forced by hand upthe fixed guide-tube b, in the manner represented in Fig. lI. As soon asthe head of the match comes in contact with the jointed cap or cover (I,it hits or forces open the said cap or cover and deflects the spring f.On the further motion of the match it comes in contact with and travelsagainst the knife-edge c, by which the match is ignited, the ignitedmatch being carried up near to the exposed parts of the wicks in thecases a a, in the manner illustrated in Fig. III, and the lighting ofthelamp is thereby effected. As the metallic holder 70 travels against theknife-edge e of the spring-cover cl it is pressed upon by the saidknife-edge, and as soon as the match reaches the position represented inFig. III it is held in that position by the pressure of the saidknife-edge while the match lights the wicks. After the lamp has beenlighted the spent match and its holder are-released and removed from theburner by pressing inward the pusher or thumb-plate i at one side of theguide-tube Z). By pressing upon the pusher i it operates, through thelink h and the tail or stem 9 of the jointed cap 61, upon the said capand turns the latter outward upon its joint. The knife-edge e is therebylifted from the match-holder, and the matchholder is released and fallswith the spent match from the guide-tube b, the several parts occupyingthe respective positions represented in Fig. IV. Thus in order to lightthe lamp it is only necessary to force the match (with or without aholder) up the guide-tube b, so as to ignite it by its traveling againstthe knifeedge e, the act of igniting the match carrying it forward intoa position proper to light the wicks,in which position it is held by themechanism, the removal of the spent match being effected by pushinginward the pusher or thumb-piece Instead of the knife-edge e, the underside of the jointed spring cap or cover (I may be roughened for ignitingthe match, as the latter forces the said cap open and travels againstit.

By our invention great simplicity combined with great cleanliness in thelighting of lamps is effected, and the removal of the chimney or shadefor lighting the lamp is rendered unnecessary.

In lamps carrying an extinguisher we extend the inner side of theextinguisher next to the match-tube up to the top of the wickcase, so asto form a shield, and thereby prevent the wick-case from being corrodedand injured by the ignition of the match. The shield referred to canreadily be scraped from adhering dirt and kept clean.

Although we have represented our invention in combination with a duplexburner of a' volatile hydrocarbon-lamp, yet our invention is equallyapplicable to volatile hydrocarbonlamps having burners with one or morethan two wicks, and to lamps burning fixed oils.

Our invention may also be applied to the lighting of gas and spiritlamps. In applying our invention to these lamps the lighting mechanismdiffers in no essential respect from that used in conjunction with theduplex burners of volatile-hydrocarbon lamps hereinbefore described, andillustrated in the drawings.

Having now described the nature of our invention, and the manner inwhich the same is to be performed, We wish it to be understood that weclaim as ourinvention JAMES .HINKS.

[L. s.] JOSEPH HINKS.

Vitnesses GEORGE SHAW, RICHARD SKERRETT, Both of N 0. 37 Temple Street,Birmingham.

